NEWARK -- Patrik Elias isn’t sure he’ll be able to play in the Devils’ back-to-back games against the Blackhawks and Sabres this weekend, but the veteran forward feels fortunate that when he crashed into the boards Tuesday afternoon he didn’t suffer an injury which would sideline him for a lengthy period of time.

After getting treatment Wednesday for bruises and soreness primarily in his lower body, Elias left the door open for Friday night’s meeting with the Hawks at Prudential Center.

“I don’t know. We’ll see. It’s day to day,” he said.

Coach Pete DeBoer said he’d give Elias another day at least before making a decision on his status.

“(He has) total body soreness. It’s not my term,” DeBoer said with a laugh. “He was optimistic about how he felt this morning. I think we were all concerned with how he would feel this morning. It’s always worse the next morning when you wake up and your body has cooled down and the swelling sets in. But he was optimistic, so that’s a good sign.”

“I’ll know more tomorrow. It’s a little premature. We’re going to try and give him as much time as we can before we start making those decisions.”

Elias fell awkwardly and slammed into the boards near the scorer’s table at 3:24 of the first period during the Devils’ 2-1 victory over the Penguins. He was shoved by Pittsburgh’s Tanner Glass and lost his balance.

“I was trying to protect the puck a little bit, trying to move it, and I felt their guy on my back,” Elias said. “I was trying to brace myself but he pushed me pretty strongly. I didn’t lose an edge but it was a weird fall. As bad as it looked, I don’t feel that bad.”

He didn’t hit his head.

“I lost my balance totally. When I felt him I tried to brace myself against him. I tried to put weight on my left leg and tried to lean into him,” Elias explained. “He obviously overpowered me and I lost balance and went into the boards. Luckily I kind of tucked in my head and shoulder. It was just a reaction and obviously it was the right one. It’s obviously a little sore from the hit, but nothing too serious. It could have been a lot worse.

“My upper body is pretty good. It’s a little sore. My lower body is more sore from trying to brace myself and falling awkwardly. It’s not from the fall. More from the hit. I’m all over sore, but nothing too bad.”

Elias doesn’t think the soreness will keep him out for a long period.

“It shouldn’t,” he said.

At the same time, defenseman Anton Volchenkov moved closer to returning from his own total body soreness. Volchenkov said he suffered an injury when he was hit behind the net during the Dec. 27 game against the Blue Jackets.

“I feel better,” Volchenkov said after practicing with a group of eight other players. “It happened in the game against Columbus. The next game there was soreness and I couldn’t play.”

Fellow defenseman Adam Larsson (knee) is also closer to playing. DeBoer will soon have some tough decisions to make.

Larsson is taking contact but won’t play this weekend.

“Volchenkov is closer than he is,” DeBoer said of Larsson. “We’re at a point now where you’re not going to put anyone in that’s less than 100 percent. It doesn’t make sense.”

Cory Schneider was mong those who practiced, but DeBoer wouldn’t say which goalie will play against Chicago.

“They both played real well in the last game each,” DeBoer said of Schneider and Martin Brodeur. “If there are back-to-backs and they’re both playing well, we’ve had success splitting those situations so far this year. That’s what I’m leaning towards doing again.”